Hi All,
Cool Squirrels Eagler, cute as a button daughter(?) as well. A sincere thanks to all who have posted encouraging notes. I'm currently popping Zicam as fast as I can, but the tickle in my throat tells me I'm probably going to be sick as a dog for Sunday Morning, so this is an earnest request for prayer before then.
Anyway... Apologetics. Gotta admit that's never been my strongest suit, but eh. Before I get started, I focused on the problem of the underlying lack of foundation for evolutionary presuppositions in this
essay interacting with the thought of evoloutionary psychologist Steven Pinker. For an even better response this problem (i.e. the way atheism trades on borrowed capital) check here:
Why I believe in God by Dr. Cornelius Van Til Anyway, Suntracker writes:
(1) The thought that an all-powerful God would either send, or allow me to burn in Hell forever for just being human.
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The Bible does not teach that men are sentenced to Hell merely for being human. The are sentenced to Hell for systematically violating God's Laws. All men since the fall are, as David put it, brought forth in a fallen condition (Psalm 51:5) - which is why for instance you don't have to teach your kids to lie or to be selfish, they come out naturally inclined to that kind of behavior (Eph. 2:1-3). So that there is no one who in and of himself would not be justly condemned by God (Romans 3:10-19).
The bible however is concerned to tell us that there is a merciful remedy for this terrible state of affairs in the atonement of Christ, i.e. that God has provided an atonement for Sin at the greatest possible cost for himself. So that Christ takes the punishment we deserved and his righteousness is imputed to us per 2 Cor. 5:21, divine justice is thus perfectly served. This exchange is detailed in Romans 3:21-25
"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed"
Thus through faith in Christ, justice is satisfied and forgiveness and heaven is given as a free gift to all who believe, this is what is know as the "good news" and this is what I'm committed to proclaiming, rather than leaving men at the aforementioned bad news.
Now regarding the underlying principle. Generally, all men are willing to believe that if there is a hell, some men (Hitler, Pol Pot, Dahmer, etc.) have merited it by their actions. We would all agree that it would not be just for Hitler to go to heaven if there was one, and would agree that if there is an all just God it would be just to punish him. I raise this merely to show that even while most men feel that
they do not deserve eternity in hell, we can readily see that the concept of punishment after life is not unjust. Quite the opposite. [BTW - no one in the bible warns of Hell as a real place of eternal punishment more than Jesus, therefore ambassadors of Christ are bound to issue the same warning]
(2) God not actively showing himself every day so that people could see that he was real, and in effect, saving the entire human population from burning in agony for eternity.
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Where to begin? The Bible states that to the contrary, all nature declares that there is a God worthy of our worship: "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard." (Psalm 19:1-3) In fact Paul in Romans 1:18-22 declared that the problem was not that we could not know that there was a God, but rather that we deny that we deny the evidence that abounds all around us:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
The incarnation was the ultimate proof of the existence of God, yet sinful men still denied it: John 10:24-25 "How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe."
Certainly I can vouch that this pattern of denial and outright anti-theism was what I engaged in.
(3) If, as evidence shows, life can be created by organic objects coming together under the right conditions, what purpose would a God serve?
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I have never yet seen conclusive proof of life being formed from inorganic material. To my knowledge no scientist has been able to create even the simplest of one-celled organisms from scratch. Additionally, even if it were shown you still have the problem of overcoming nothingness. I.E. Nothing comes from nothing. Where did the matter one supposes can become life come from? God as Creator, Sustainer,* Redeemer, is in no way eliminated even if one could take inorganic chemicals and synthesize nucleotides in a lab. Time+Chance cannot Create, neither can they Order, or Preserve. Only a Creator can both put the DNA Helix together and keep it that way.
- SEAGOON
* did you bring yourself into being? Do you keep yourself in existence?
